Can an average person really create Zero Waste? The challenge was set and during the week 10-17 March 2008, one mother in Bury St Edmunds gave it a go. She only threw out a plaster. Can you do it too? Why not try your own Rubbish Diet and slim your bin. You'll be amazed at how easy it really is and you could even save some money. If Almost Mrs Average can do it, you can too.

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Monday, 13 June 2011

WELL WELL WELL. I'm still getting over the shock of being outed recently by The Observer's very lovely Lucy Siegle who just so happened to reveal to the nation, my peculiar habit of embarrassing the kids by taking photos of municipal trash cans. Yes I know....!

But I admit it. Indeed I really do have a sad collection of bin photos, recycling ones in particular, taken whilst out shopping and on holiday, both in the UK and overseas, Well it IS research you know! In fact this is the blogpost that initially grabbed the attention, taken on a day-trip to Barry Island in South Wales, the spiritual home of sitcom Gavin & Stacey.

Now I don't think I'm the only one to notice how these hight street recycling bins are starting to pop up in all manner of places in the UK. And I bet I'm not the only one to have taken photos of them either (although most people will only have included them unknowingly in the background). But if you start looking, you'll find them in many high streets and tourist hotspots around the country, and they're proving to be a very valuable tool in helping the UK reduce the amount of plastic, aluminium and paper that's sent to landfill or incineration.

They come in all shapes and sizes too. Take the one above for instance, which was snapped at Brussels' Eurostar terminal. It even looks like a giant shape-sorter. Of course there are plenty more inconspicuous ones that often get overlooked, which is why Rachelle Strauss at My Zero Waste and I are launching a challenge to promote these very useful facilities and find out exactly where they are.

So the challenge ladies and gentlemen, is TO COLLECT 1000 PHOTOS or VIDEOS by the end of this year's National Zero Waste Week, which takes place on 5-11 September.

Yes 1000! I know!!!

That's more than this busy mother of two can manage, which is why we've employed the talents of our bespectacled pal SHEDWYN, who's as mad as brush and will be popping up in all sorts of places around the country taking photos. Here she is....getting prepared for some hard and fast recycling action on the streets of London, either that or trying to flag down a taxi with an empty drinks bottle and a copy of The Metro.

But good grief, WHERE did she get those glasses!!! Oh bless her.

Anyway, Shedwyn's other mission is to make recycling bins as entertaining as possible and she'll even be encouraging the odd comedian or busker to strut their stuff as they recycle on the go.

But even this Welsh Wonderwoman can't do this without any help either. She needs YOUR help and WE'D LOVE YOU TO JOIN IN TOO. It's really easy. We simply need you to 'snap & post' a few photos, that's all.

Whenever you spot a public high-street recycling bin, it would be great if you could take a quick photo and post it onto our NEW FACEBOOK PAGE! The funnier or more unusual, the better. You could put yourself in the frame too, or even send an entertaining video to show off your hidden (or not so hidden) talents. They'll also be entered into our photo collection as well as any sketches or artwork submitted by artists. To add them directly, you just need to 'like' the new Facebook page and upload them straight to the page's wall, which you will find at: Standup for Recycling out on the street: The 1000 bin challenge.

Just remember to include the town and location of where you found the bin. It would be brilliant to get submissions of overseas bins too, especially if they offer extra design features, such as voice-activation or play music.

Even if you don't have a Facebook account, you can still join in by sending your submissions to: standup@therubbishdiet.co.uk and we will post them online for you.

All submissions added will be automatically entered into the Zero Waste Week annual competition, details of which will be announced at www.myzerowaste.com at the end of July. The final deadline for the challenge is 11 September and all winners will be revealed at the end of September.

Our 1000 bin challenge is an independent social-media campaign, coordinated by The Rubbish Diet blog and My Zero Waste. It is officially being launched on Monday 20th June to show our support for WRAP's Recycle Week 2011 campaign, which itself runs until 26th June.

And this year's Recycle Week looks like it's going to be a real brilliant one. The theme is Recycling - Home and Away and aims to demonstrate the positive effect of recycling a little bit more, whether at home, at work or out-and-about. There's even a competition to guess the location of some on-street recycling bins at the Recycle Now website. I reckon old Shedwyn will be able to have a good crack at that, given the way she gets around!

The other big news this year is that anti-litter organisation Keep Britain Tidy is also partnering with WRAP and has been working with pilot authorities to launch this year's Recycle Week, encouraging organisers of Big Tidy Up events to recycle litter. More information about Recycle Week and how you can get involved is now available at www.recyclenow.com and www.thebigtidyup.org.

So what are you waiting for? There's lots going on and I'm looking forward to seeing what you'll get up to. Whatever it is, just remember to keep it clean...AND remember to take your camera.

1000 photos eh.....whoa...this will definitely be a challenge and a half, especially as we'll only have just 12 weeks. It's time for Shedwyn and her mates to get snapping.

...or check out the video of our zero waste home

@ THE STARTING POINT

This family used to create an average of two to three 50 litre bags of LANDFILL WASTE in a two week period. Through assessing and changing everyday habits, this was reduced heavily in time forZero Waste Week, which ended on 17th March 2008, when the only thing we threw out to landfill was a sticking plaster.

@ GUARDIAN UNLIMITED ON WASTE

The Rubbish Diet and Almost Mrs Average are trademarks of Karen Cannard, the author of this blog.

This blog is an independent work and has no direct relation with St Edmundsbury Borough Council, Suffolk County Council or WRAP. Any queries related to other organisation's initiatives should be sent to them directly. Readers should always check with their own local council regarding recycling and waste collection services, as these vary across districts and counties.

Please note: Any reference to specific organisations/products arise from the author's personal experience and not through sponsorship or advertising arrangements unless stated. Alternatives are often available and readers should always check suitability for their own personal circumstances.

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